This is the latest arsenal of the democratic psyche.
While Varun promises to chop off hands and Lalu vows to bulldoze him for his “audacity”, voters can keep their shoes “handy”. If votes don’t work, this will. You don’t even need to fill forms and register yourself. Carry an extra pair whenever you attend a political rally and even before the neta can promise you the heaven on earth, aim and throw. If it hits bullseye, you have had your revenge for decades of corruption and apathy. And if it doesn’t, chances are it won’t, you will be a hero at least till the new shoe-chucker comes along. And as surveys say, hurling inanimate objects helps curb frustration and anger.
As for the poor neta and his party, if the shoe hits or it doesn’t, they will be too embarrassed to take any action. They wouldn’t want the red-faced neta ducking shoes or slippers 24X7 on all TV channels!
Effects of shoeism:
Such is the power of Shoeism that NSG and SPG commandoes are ‘allegedly’ mugging up “How to deal with shoe missiles” and ministers are rushing to bulletproof jacket-makers for shoe-proof jacket orders. With delivery required yesterday.
At press conferences, journos are being politely asked to deposit their shoes outside while cops guarding political rallies are searching followers and party workers for “suspicious” shoes, not bombs, that can be chucked easily and wouldn’t look good on TV. (Sources in the Congress Party have confirmed that Jarnail Singh was let off by the Party high-command because he had hurled a Reebok trainer and that too PC’s size. The economist is now waiting for the second in the pair!) Last heard, many netas are taking lessons in smooth ducking!
Hail Muntadhar al-Zaidi!
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